By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: Niranjan Bishi , BJD Rajya Sabha MP from Odisha has written a letter to President Droupadi Murmu with reference DO: VIP-RS-2026-0303 demanding urgent Constitutional intervention over the police action in the Sijimali hills in Rayagada district and related tribal areas for Vedanta Group Bauxite mines operations.
In his letter to President , BJD MP drew urgent Constitutional intervention for Protection of Scheduled Tribes in SIJIMALI, Kutrumali, Majhi Mali, and Khandualmali Hill Regions in Scheduled Areas of Odisha
“I write with a deep sense of constitutional urgency to bring to your kind notice a grave and alarming situation in the Scheduled Areas of Odisha, particularly concerning the police crackdown in the SIJIMALI Hill region of Kantamal village, Rayagada district, which occurred on the midnight of 07.04.2026. 300 A.M” he said.
‘As per reports, police forces under administrative direction gheraoed the tribal village in SIJIMALI Hill region, cut off electricity supply, and resorted to tear gas and blank firing, thereby creating fear, panic, and terror among innocent Scheduled Tribe inhabitants living in their ancestral hill habitat,” BJD MP said.
He wrote “ The situation is further aggravated by disturbing reports that tribal women were abused, assaulted, and humiliated, constituting a serious violation of their dignity and fundamental rights. Such actions reflect an alarming misuse of state power against vulnerable tribal communities.This coercive action appears to be part of a broader pattern threatening tribal habitation and autonomy not only in SIJIMALI Hill region but also in other tribal-inhabited hill regions, namely:Kutrumali Hill, Majhi Mali Hills, Khandualmali Hill
These regions are ecologically sensitive and culturally significant Scheduled Areas where tribal communities have been residing for generations, exercising their traditional and forest rights. Any attempt to intimidate or displace them strikes at the very foundation of constitutional protections,”
Violation of Constitutional and Legal Safeguards:
The BJD MP Bisi argued that the incident and emerging pattern of coercive action constitute serious violations of: Fifth Schedule of the Constitution of India — Places a special responsibility upon Your Excellency to ensure peace, good governance, and protection of tribal interests in Scheduled Areas. Article 21 – Right to Life and Dignity — The actions of intimidation, violence, and humiliation violate the fundamental right to live with dignity.
Articles 14 & 15 — Arbitrary and discriminatory use of state power against Scheduled Tribes. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 — Assault, intimidation, and humiliation of tribal communities are punishable offences.
Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 — Gram Sabha consent, mandatory in Scheduled Areas, has been completely bypassed.
‘Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 — Protects the rights of tribal communities over forest land and hill habitation and prohibits eviction without due process.Principles of Natural Justice — No notice, no hearing, and no consent of affected tribal communities. Judgment of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in Orissa Mining Corporation vs Ministry of Environment & Forest (2013) — Upholds the supremacy of Gram Sabha in matters concerning tribal land, culture, and livelihood, particularly in hill regions,” he said.
‘In view of the above, I most respectfully request Your Excellency to:Seek an immediate report from the Government of Odisha regarding the SIJIMALI Hill incident and related developments in Kutrumali, Majhi Mali, and Khandualmali hill regions. Direct a high-level independent or judicial inquiry into the police crackdown and alleged atrocities.
Ensure strict action against responsible officials under the SC/ST PoA Act.Direct the State Government to immediately halt coercive actions and restore normalcy in all affected hill regions.Ensure that no tribal community is displaced from SIJIMALI, Kutrumali, Majhi Mali, or Khandualmali hill regions without free, prior, and informed consent of Gram Sabha, he said.
‘Issue necessary directions to enforce PESA Act and Forest Rights Act in letter and spirit.Ensure protection of tribal identity, land, culture, and livelihood in all Scheduled Areas of Odisha.The hill regions of SIJIMALI, Kutrumali, Majhi Mali, and Khandualmali are not merely geographical entities—they represent the constitutional identity, cultural heritage, and survival of tribal communities. Any coercive action to intimidate or displace them is a direct assault on the Constitution of India and its commitment to social justice.I therefore earnestly appeal for your urgent constitutional intervention to uphold justice, restore the rule of law, and protect the dignity and rights of the Scheduled Tribes’, he added.
The letter directly responds to the pre-dawn police operation in Kantamal village (Sijimali hills, Kashipur block, Rayagada district) on the night of 7 April 2026. Tribals have been protesting road construction (a 3 km stretch from Purulang/Purlong to Sagabari Ghati) linked to Vedanta Ltd.’s proposed bauxite mining in the Sijimali block (auctioned in 2023; estimated 311 million tonnes of bauxite).
The area is a Fifth Schedule Scheduled Area requiring Gram Sabha consent under PESA and FRA. Protesters allege the project threatens water sources, forests, millet cultivation, and their way of life. Reports describe police surrounding the village, cutting power, using tear gas and lathi charges; both sides reported injuries (villagers and 30–58 police personnel). A cow was reportedly killed, and allegations of assaults on women have surfaced.
This continues long-standing resistance in Sijimali-Kutrumali-Majhingmali hills (spanning Rayagada and Kalahandi) against Vedanta’s project, with earlier protests, arrests, and an open letter from villagers to the President in January 2024.
MP Bisi is Chairman Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information & Communication Technology Management in Rajya Sabha, Member , Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment; Consultative Committee, Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Co-Chairman District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) Balangir.
